MP3 audio files can be uploaded to the internet. This technology is not new. It has been around for a while, but it has never been as popular or talked about as it is today. It is definitely in the news today.
Seven years ago, MP3 files were widely available online when I started multimedia design. After Napster’s 1999 P2P file-sharing network program, MP3 popularity exploded.
MP3 is a digital audio format that has quickly become a popular one because it has a smaller file size than “MOV” and “WAV”.
It continues to be the most popular digital audio format and is still the preferred choice mp3juice.
There was not much internet speed in the past. Also, the hard drives and ROM’s of computers were small and costly. MP3 files, especially, had to be converted to “MOV” and “WAV” formats. The audio recording, editing hardware, and software were very difficult to use and expensive, so only professional studios could afford to buy them.
It was not an easy tool that web developers and marketers could use to their advantage. I still recall the difficulties of compressing the audio files and balancing quality to make it compatible with 28.8kbps modems.
Web audio is rare on business websites. Even those that did have it were mostly used as background music. It didn’t serve any purpose marketing-wise. It was mostly designers showing off their “advanced techniques”, trying to impress employers. This was basically an “e-toy” for website designers.
The Internet bandwidth is no longer an obstacle to multimedia data transferring. The pace of technology is rapid, computers have huge capacities, and the cost of hardware has dropped dramatically. This makes it possible for web hosting companies to offer large amounts of server space to website owners for storing and transferring audio and video content at a very low price.
However, the cost of audio editing software was still relatively high. This made it difficult for Internet marketers who wanted to include audio in their Internet marketing.
This created a new opportunity for Internet Marketers as well as software developers. They have been able to work together on these issues. They have limited the use of advanced features and kept only the most used. Also, they created a simpler software for web audio recording.
The web audio software has been used by Internet marketers over the years.
Some people claim that their sales conversion rates have increased by as much as 40%, or even 400% by simply adding audio sales litter to their website. Is this possible? This is a fact that I will be discussing in depth in another issue. But, absolutely web audio and video have added a new dimension to Internet Marketing. It’s used primarily for audio newsletters and web audio sales letters.
It’s a simple piece of software. You can record your message online if you are able to speak and click. You don’t need any technical knowledge or experience. All you need is a microphone and a computer.
For my more complex projects, I still use the Pro version of audio/video production software. However, I prefer this smaller, feature-focused software to complete single tasks. This is because it saves time and simplifies the process. The software is also very affordable!
Some marketers even have a phone system that records audio files for those who don’t have a computer or can’t figure out how to connect the microphone to their computer. You will still need to dial the number and pick up your phone.
ThirdSphere, a dedicated web hosting company, has also adopted this trend and included related features in their service packages to increase sales. Flash Audio Generator and Flash Video Generator are available. This software allows web designers to convert pre-recorded audio or video files to FLV files that can be uploaded online.
The new Internet marketing technique of streaming audio and video is a highly effective one. It will continue to grow in popularity and grab Internet marketers’ and visitors’ attention for many years, until all websites on the Internet have a voice.
Ying founded Stimulus Communications, a Montreal-based marketing company. He’s a skilled street-smart in marketing and advertising strategy planning and has extensive experience in both digital and traditional marketing media production. Ying received a Masters of Art History & Art Technology from Japan’s National University of Kobe and a Professional Degree in Multimedia Design from Montreal’s International Academy of Design.